Here are the three wahines that paddled out for this 41st Wahine Wednesday.

The sky was breath taking today as it has been the past few days.  The soft pink and blue that cast a gentle light on the faces in the line up.  The  still air that held the glass on the waves in place.  The soft, billowy clouds that added a touch of serenity.

When I reflect on this photo and pause to find words for today I am initially at a loss.  A profound sense of melancholy comes over me.  This journey of 52 Wednesdays is nearing a close.  We are on the home stretch.

It has been an incredible ride and I am not ready for it to end.  We still have several weeks to go. We will definitely continue surfing after the 52nd Wednesday.  But coming so close to the end of our goal brings with it a twinge of sadness.

I think back to some of the Wednesdays of the past year and I smile.  For me, each of these days have brought with them something to be learned as well as something to be cherished.  It hasn’t been because of the epic surf we experienced.  It wasn’t the smokin’ barrels or the glassy shoulder high sets.  My smiles are because of the people…like the two with me in this picture.  But also the dozens of others that have joined us along the way. Our close friends and surf acquaintances.  The people who have supported us in and out of the water.  They have all brought something to this journey and it has been ever so sweet.

I find myself wanting to take more pictures and video of our Wahine Wednesdays experiences.  Not of the ocean or landscape but images of the people who have accompanied Tiare and me on this venture. To capture these moments in time that I know will end all too soon.  Almost like a mother who sees her baby growing up before her eyes and feels the need to harness life in a concrete way…as if somehow this will stop the march of time.

This sense of loss is what tells me Wahine Wednesdays has been special.  It has been important to me.  And I appreciate everyone who “got it”.  Who understood our goal from the get go as well as those who took a little time to get on board. Who realized that Tiare and I were trying to create something.  Something people could relate to and connect with.  And from the feedback in the water and from our blog friends, I think we did.

It has been fun…a great ride.  And I am looking forward to the last weeks of the journey.  Where I will savor every moment, every wave, every conversation, every bit .

Because as Regena Thomashauer says…

“Fun always leads to love.”

Salty Kisses, K